Macrofouling on offshore structures in the Mediterranean Sea

Abstract

This report discusses a range of studies involving the invertebrates that settle on panels placed in the Mediterranean Sea. Regarding platforms, panels were placed next to three of these, two located in the Adriatic Sea, the other in the Ionian Sea. In the Adriatic, the mussel, Mytilus galloprovincialis, dominated the panels placed close to the sea surface. Panels somewhat deeper, at 11 and 20 m, the hydrozoan Tubularia mesembryanthemum, barnacle, Balanus improvisus, and tubeworm, Pomatoceros triqueter, were also important At the Ionian platform, M. galloprovincialis was also important at the shallow panels, while in 65 m the bivalve Picnodonta cochlear predominated. At 14 and 20 m, the tubeworm Salmacina dysteri dominated, although various bryozoans, and bivalves were also important.